Our 2018 Project Report Card

We’re back from the holiday whirlwind (we’ll share more about that later this week) but wanted to look back at our goals from last year to gauge how 2018 shaped up. At the beginning of every year, we share a list of projects we hope to tackle, and looking back just one year it’s always so incredible to see how far we have come and what we have accomplished.

January 3, 2018 (in this post) we listed the 6 projects we wanted to check off last year, here’s what they were:

1. Master Bathroom.

Check! Part of me is disappointed that we waited 5 years to renovate our sad master bathroom only because every single day since has been just…easier. More pleasant. More organized. It’s like all of the necessities I use every morning and night were in Limbo for 5 years and now they have a permanent place. It wasn’t without major headaches along the way, or a very high price tag or unexpected twists or setbacks. But besides that one thing, we love our bathroom. And although part of me is disappointed we waited so long, I really feel like that extra waiting period allowed us to get it right! See all the afters and posts about the bathroom here.

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Here’s how our bathroom looked at the beginning of 2018:

And at the end!:

2. Master Closet

Overhauling the bathroom naturally meant that our closet also needed a facelift, since they were connected but also it was possibly worse than our bathroom. I remember at the beginning of the year we weren’t even sure what the plan was or what it would look like after. We went through a lot of versions before landing on a galley style and since we spent a pretty penny on the bathroom, we kept it budget friendly by going the Ikea Pax route. We have zero regrets and absolutely love our closet. It has been a life changer. See all the before and afters and posts about the closethere.

Beginning of 2018:

End of 2018:

3. Master Bedroom

At the beginning of the year, we confessed that we had done our master bedroom, but never really completed it fully. And sadly, I can say it still doesn’t feel done done. I give us a B+! I still haven’t ordered window treatments, and the floor mirror that we’ve had for years is really too small for the wall it’s on. Weirdly, the two different lamps we have been rocking that were supposed to be temporary have grown on me. But! We did make some major changes in our bedroom, finally addressed the weird insert where our TV is and added an electric fireplace (it was so easy!) and overall have been enjoying the lighter, more mature feel to the space.

Our garage is an ongoing joke with us because, not kidding, every year we say, “This is the year we tackle the garage.” And every year we do clean it out but this is the year it stuck because this is the year we made sure every thing had a place. I learned that if you organize your stuff–even the boring stuff like nails or paint roller cages or coolers!–if you give it all a place, THAT’S how things stay clean. We organized the crap out of our garage. We got new doors. We epoxied the floor and now, all winter, we are reaping the benefits by parking in the garage. Both of us! It was all worth it.

2018 was our biggest year yet and 2019 is already almost completely booked with projects. We’re excited. We’re refreshed. We’re ready. We’d love to hear if there’s something in particular that you’d like to see more of or would like to see us tackle in 2019! Sound off in the comments.

February 16, 2016

31 COMMENTS

Cathy

2 months ago

Hi there! I loved loved LOVED seeing the variety of spaces and projects you completed this past year and look forward to seeing more! I noticed in some of your pics that your current home’s ceiling is textured, like the floral texture that we also have in our house. My question is, do you have any plans to tackle those, either removing the texture (scrape them off) or covering them maybe with shiplap? Would love to see a future blog post on this!

2 months ago

2 months ago

Lynn

3 months ago

Just re-read your landscaping post, and would love to see more about painting aluminum siding. We have worn, 30 year old brown aluminum siding on our ranch, in a neighborhood full of tan/brick homes and I dont even know where i would start.

Layce

3 months ago

In regards to the Walmart stuff….I am holding back on an opinion…because it isn’t complete yet! Julia, you always do a great job layering things in and making it beautiful. I’m excited that you are using budget pieces and eager to see it all come together!

3 months ago

Always budget friendly stuff! And customization of builder basic homes. Ours is new and a clean slate but BORING. Your projects this year turned out so beautifully. I literally cannot believe how talented and motivated you guys are! Keep it up! ❤️

3 months ago

3 months ago

Nazia

3 months ago

Hi there! We are buying a new home and the first thing we wanted to do before even moving in is epoxying the garage floor just so it’s free of any paints and stains, and doesn’t require too much prep work. I am wondering how your garage floor is holding up and if there is anything you would recommend after using your garage floor for a couple of months.

3 months ago

Barb

3 months ago

We did an epoxy floor on our garage floor 10 years ago. New build home, we live in North Texas so not much snow melt but plenty of hot weather and ours looks like the day we did it. It’s a good investment…do it!

Kelsey Keller

3 months ago

a little thing i would love to see from you guys is how you organize your cleaning supplies, pantry or even fridge! Also would love to see more of your downstairs office. I remember seeing a quick shot of the shelves you have with extra decor and curious how you manage the storage of extra pieces you arent currently using. Cant wait to see your list for 2019 and so excited and proud of everything you guys have done this year!

Robin

3 months ago

3 months ago

I always always love everything you guys do, but I have to say I still love the older bedroom either the colors. I feel like you lost a lot of character! The fireplace was a great addition, but still mourning the old bedroom!

Aimee

3 months ago

Lauren

3 months ago

I am actually on the opposite side in terms of where you get your stuff. All the Walmart products seem lackluster while both the girls room and nursery from the ORCs are dynamite. Clearly higher end products photograph better. There are plenty of big box retailers for us to come up with less expensive versions of your rooms but if you get a gem of a sponsor then I support you going for the stars.

Vid

3 months ago

Same. I just haven’t loved any of the Walmart stuff – perhaps because the loft/guest room is nearly all Walmart, and perhaps it needs to be mixed with higher-end furnishings to really look good, I don’t know. And maybe they’re great in person! But yeah, I agree that in photos, the Walmart stuff just doesn’t look anywhere near as lovely as your other furnishings/decor.

Maddie

3 months ago

There’s definitely truth in higher end pieces simply looking higher end, but I also think it’s important to keep in mind (myself included) these rooms aren’t close to being finished! The girls’ room and nursery are fully styled with art and accessories, and so far the rooms in the cabin are literally just pretty beds with linens. I think we’re going to have to wait and see how she layers in other items before writing-off inexpensive home decor (although I do think memory foam mattresses can always use a pillow topper to look more luxurious)!

3 months ago

Totally agree! And obviously a vacation home (and one that you’re renting out) isn’t going to have a 50K bathroom! I think you’ve done the Walmart stuff beautifully! You always add something more expensive with it (the juniper pillows, camp blankets, etc) and they look so great!